...........
...........
Published on Nov 4, 2015
NRA to call for replacing Monju operator Nuclear & Energy Nov. 3, 2015 - Updated 23:14 UTC-5 Japan's nuclear regulator is set to call on science minister Hirosi Hase to replace the operator of the country's prototype fast-breeder Monju reactor. The Nuclear Regulation Authority made the decision at a meeting on Wednesday, based on its view that the current operator, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, is unfit for the job. It says the operator of the Monju reactor in Fukui Prefecture has failed to improve its safety. The NRA will also ask the minister to fundamentally review the reactor's status if a new operator cannot be found. It wants the minister to name an alternative operator within about 6 months. The nuclear regulator ordered the Atomic Energy Agency 2 years ago not to conduct test-runs at Monju, after a large number of safety oversight problems surfaced. New problems with its safety management were found even after the reactor went offline. The NRA is authorized by law to offer unbinding recommendations to the heads of government ministries and agencies in order to ensure the safe use of nuclear power. This is the first time the authority has decided to issue such a recommendation since it was established 3 years ago. Tsuruga reactor to undergo screening for restart
Nuclear & EnergyNov. 4, 2015 - Updated 17:39 UTC-5 The operator of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in central Japan is to apply for screening of one of its reactors to put it back online. The Nuclear Regulation Authority concluded in its assessment in March that the No.2 reactor on the Sea of Japan Coast in Fukui Prefecture stands directly above a fault, and could move in the future. The unit may be forced to shut down permanently. Japan adopted tougher regulations that ban construction of reactor buildings and other key structures above such faults after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The Japan Atomic Power Company says it challenges the assessment of the nuclear regulator, and will apply for a safety screening on Thursday. The screening is a prerequisite in resuming operations of reactors that remain offline following the nuclear disaster. The operator compiled reports on its new findings after carrying out fresh drilling surveys and other on-site studies. It argues it found that the fault that the nuclear regulator has concluded may shift in the future has not been active for many years, and said that the fault will remain inactive in the future. Possible violation in radioactive waste storage
Nuclear & Energy Nov. 2, 2015 - Updated 06:15 UTC-5 Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority secretariat has found the operator of a uranium enrichment plant in Aomori Prefecture stored radioactive waste in a location that violated safety regulations. The plant enriches uranium for nuclear power generation. The Secretariat of the NRA is expected to ask Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited to remedy the situation. The secretariat says the violation was discovered in August during an inspection of the plant in northeastern Japan. It says the operator has been storing low-level radioactive waste temporarily in a room near equipment used to produce enriched uranium. The secretariat says the location is in violation of safety regulations. The operator later moves the waste to a location that meets safety regulations. But the secretariat says the temporary storage place is in violation of regulations. It is expected to ask the operator to correct the situation. Officials at Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited say the plant made its own rules for temporary storage. They say there have been no leaks of radioactive substances. The officials say they will store the waste in a proper way in the future.
............
